Emails are fast becoming one of the most popular ways of corresponding with colleagues and managers, which can lead to packed inboxes featuring messages that risk never being read or responded to.

Back when offices were built on paper-based systems there were in-trays and out-trays to deal with letters, contracts and other important notices. Intermediaries and administration staff often stood on the front line battling paperwork as it arrived throughout the working day. A glance at a tray or within a cabinet would give an idea of the amount of work left to do and this was tackled rigorously.

Of course, the digital age has revolutionised how you keep in touch with friends, family and co-workers. It is easier to send an email to colleagues rather then put together paper-based memos, which were once written then sent via the internal post. However, some would argue communication has become too easy, in that massive amounts of emails are sent and arrive in inboxes throughout the day, to the point that workers struggle to cope with them and they could go ignored, potentially having a negative effect on the company concerned.

It may seem surprising that with all the technology and software available, correspondence gets lost, unanswered or even published incorrectly, risking confidentiality agreements. To prevent this happening and stop email systems getting overloaded with hundreds and thousands of messages, there are certain rules that you can put in place to prevent a build up of mail and manage your time well. The first step experts suggest you take when an email arrives is to consider the type of message it is.

Some are junk, others simply giving out information, while many request you reply quite soon. Getting them immediately sorted into their separate categories will drastically cut down the number that may lay in your inbox for months and possibly years. Those that are offering information, perhaps about work dress codes, or changes to internal systems are usually placed in reference files within systems so you are able to take a look at them when necessary.

Hopefully junk goes straight to its designated folder rather than being sent to your inbox, but these can be immediately deleted if this is not the case. The remainder are usually sent to folders that are marked for you to reply to them in some way. This simple ordering is good for clearing out inboxes quickly and helps prioritise workloads.

When it actually comes down to answering and dealing with queries that arrive electronically, it is recommended that you find a regular slot where you have the opportunity to tackle the correspondence uninterrupted. This should ideally form part of your normal working day and not bleed into the hours and minutes you ought to be spending on your journey home. Once established, these routines prove their worth as message are replied to, with you applying your full concentration and this could cut the amount of time spent on them.

Allotted times can vary depending on the number of emails you are expected to deal with on a daily basis, some workers devote an hour, others 20 minutes or so. The next step is to use software that is available to you in a bid to process the messages as quickly as possible. Some applications allow you to look at your inbox in the traditional way, which is normally based on the time that emails arrived. However, if you prefer, you can change this to show the order of messages via the person they came from.

In addition, keywords can be searched for, so if you need to deal with correspondence regarding a campaign, you have the opportunity to call up the emails featuring certain words relevant to the task. Finally, you may open mail that you are unsure how to deal with, this could lead to you leaving messages in your inbox while you come up with solutions. In this case it is advised that you consider forwarding them to others who are better able to respond to the email, in order to delegate the work the message may require.